Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten

by C. C. Wood

  “I’m glad you were able to save her,” he murmured, using his thumbs to gently wipe my tears away.

  “Me too.”

  Unfortunately, it was time to focus on the other woman who needed my help; Belinda.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Twenty minutes later, we were all in the library except for Calder, Ricki, and Donna. Donna was upstairs, removing Ricki’s bloody clothes and washing her skin. Conner and Finn were speaking softly in the corner, while Shannon and I sat on the couch.

  One of Conner’s men, I wasn’t sure of his name, was attempting to clean and dress Shannon’s injuries. Mostly she was bruised, but her forehead was bleeding and there were several lacerations on her arms and hands. Unfortunately, Shannon wasn’t impressed with his fawning.

  “I’m fine,” she snapped, trying to dodge his hand. “I’ll wash up in a few minutes.”

  “Sit still and let me clean your wounds,” he insisted.

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve already killed one vampire tonight, let’s not make it two.”

  The vampire’s hands froze, hovering over her skin. I had to stifle a laugh at the shocked expression on his face. I doubted any other human woman he knew would have had the gumption to speak to him like that. I reached out and took the cloth from him.

  “She doesn’t mean it. Blood always makes her a little snippy, especially if it’s her own. I’ll take care of her.”

  He nodded.

  “Thanks for your help.” I nudged Shannon with my elbow.

  She flinched. “Yes, thank you.”

  I turned to her, using the gauze to wipe away the excess blood on her face. “You should be nicer to the vampires. They’re a lot stronger than humans, you know.”

  “Strength isn’t everything,” she muttered.

  The sliver of amusement I felt faded away, replaced by worry. “What happened?” I asked, grabbing a fresh piece of gauze and putting a bit of alcohol on it.

  Shannon hissed when I went back to cleaning the wound on her forehead. “It seems one of Conner’s men worked for the Faction. He let several other vampires into the house and they tried to kill us. Calder told us to go downstairs in the basement, but we got cut off. We hid in Ricki’s closet, but they found us.” Her breath hitched when I got a fresh piece of gauze and began to clean the blood from her forearms and hands. “I thought we were going to die. He moved so quickly that I could barely see him. I couldn’t get a shot off. It wasn’t until he started….” she swallowed. “It wasn’t until he started…that I could get a clean aim. I shot him in the head.”

  I nodded as I finished cleaning her cuts. “You did what you needed to do. If you hadn’t killed him, he would have kept coming.”

  “I just wish I’d stopped him from hurting Ricki.”

  Finn brought over a glass with an inch of clear liquid in it. I assumed it wasn’t water. I took it and lifted it to Shannon’s lips, urging her to take a sip with the hopes that it would calm her nerves.

  She coughed a little and took another drink. Then she pushed the glass away. “That’s enough.”

  Finn set the glass on the heavy coffee table and sat down on it so he was facing us, elbows to knees. “I have news about Belinda and Lachlan.”

  Something about the way he said Belinda’s name sent a shaft of fear through me and my heart began to pound.

  “Lachlan was severely injured.” He reached out to take my hand and that’s when I knew what he was going to say. “Belinda didn’t survive. I’m sorry, Kerry, but she’s gone.”

  I wanted to scream and cry but I felt as though I’d been encased in ice. Since my mother’s death, Belinda was one of the few women that I felt I could turn to. While my friends were wonderful, there were a lot of times I couldn’t confide in them because of what I was. She had always been there, never letting me push her away with my bitchy behavior.

  Now I understood why she’d been so insistent that we begin my training immediately, despite what was happening around us. She was more than a witch. As a Seer, she had the gift of foresight. Belinda knew she was going to die.

  I forced myself to breathe and push past the feelings that threatened to overwhelm me. I had to keep it together. There was too much at stake. While most of the coven would look to me for answers, I doubted the elders would do anything to help and I had strong suspicions that one of them had possibly betrayed us.

  “What’s next?” I asked.

  Finn glanced at Conner and some unspoken thought passed between them. “You said you believed someone at the coven meeting would have to have helped the Faction track you down. Do you truly think that is the case?”

  “I know it is,” I whispered. “How else would Dante be able to connect to me in a dream or find Belinda? We were both carefully hidden and I know Belinda would have cast spells or set wards to prevent someone from ascertaining her location through the usual magical means.”

  Finn clasped my hands a little tighter. “I don’t like the plan I’m about to propose to you. Actually, I loathe it, but we need you in this war and I can’t deny it any longer.” He glanced at Conner one more time, his expression stiff. “The coven will want to perform the traditional rites for Belinda and we think it would be an excellent opportunity to find the traitor amongst your people. It’s clear that there are few people we can trust, even among those closest to us.”

  I thought their idea was a good one. “It could definitely work. But I think it would be better to do this at the emergency meeting I’m going to call tomorrow morning to announce my ascension to High Priestess. Everyone will be on their best behavior at Belinda’s rite, but I believe they will be more honest and maybe even outright hostile at the meeting. It will be easier to get a read on them while their guard is down.”

  Conner nodded. “Excellent suggestion. Where will you hold the meeting? One of my offices?”

  I shook my head. “No, we’ll have it at the coven library.”

  Finn studied me, a slight frown on his face. “I thought the elders refused to allow the werewolves and Council members access to the Coven House.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “What better way to bait someone who obviously despises the Council and the pack than to invite those they hate to our sanctuary?”

  Conner’s eyes were speculative as he appraised my suggestion. “That’s an excellent and cunning idea.”

  Finn was silent, but he nodded in agreement.

  I squeezed his hands before releasing them and standing. “Well, I have some calls and arrangements to make. This needs to stop before anyone else gets hurt.”

  None of us slept much that night. The elders were surprisingly subdued when I contacted them. In fact, all of them readily agreed to help me notify the rest of the coven of Belinda’s death.

  Shannon grumbled about being useful for things other than acting as a glorified receptionist, but she made coffee and tea for us and pitched in whenever anyone needed help. Finn and Conner were busy working out the logistics of security for the meeting and, once I finished my phone calls, I had plans of my own to make.

  Around three, Finn came over to the table, took the pen from my hand, and pulled me to my feet. “You’re half asleep and probably not thinking clearly. Let’s get some rest.”

  “But, I have to finish-”

  He picked up the notepad I’d been scribbling on and turned it around, pointing to the bottom of the page. “The sentence that you were writing here?”

  I glanced down and realized that I’d been writing nothing but a bunch of gibberish. “Well, shit.”

  He threw the pad down on the table. “Let’s get a few hours of rest and then you can get back to work.”

  After a quick check on Ricki, who was still sleeping though she was nearly healed, I let Finn lead me into a guest room, help me out of my clothes, and into a t-shirt he’d found somewhere. I settled onto the bed and he climbed in next to me, pulling the duvet over us.

  Finn tucked me close. “Sleep, Kerry. You can be strong in the morning.”r />
  To my surprise, I was barely able to hold my eyes open. Within minutes, I was asleep.

  * * *

  As I slept, I saw myself at my mother’s cottage in the country. I sat at the kitchen table with her and Belinda, drinking hot tea, and playing Scrabble. I felt a pang of longing at reliving the memories I’d almost forgotten. In the years since my mother’s death, I’d been so busy trying to avoid Belinda that I lost sight of how much time we spent together during my teen years. In hindsight, I realized that she treated me as a sister, with equal parts love and exasperation.

  The scene shifted and, this time, the three of us were seated around the table in the solarium, a bowl in the center. Candles were lit around the room and the smell of burning herbs tickled my nose. This wasn’t one of my memories.

  “What’s happening?” I asked.

  Mom and Belinda were chanting, eyes shut, and we were all holding hands. When I tried to pull away, they tightened their grip on me.

  “What the hell?”

  Mom’s eyes popped open. “Don’t move,” she commanded firmly.

  I stopped moving and she and Belinda continued the incantation. A light, warm breeze filled the solarium, gaining strength and speed. Soon it grew into a hot wind that somehow didn’t touch the flames of the candles, which barely flickered.

  “As we will it, so mote it be.” My mother’s voice and Belinda’s rang out together and the fiery wind died away.

  They released my hands and opened their eyes.

  “I have to be dreaming,” I muttered. “That’s the only explanation.”

  “Is it?” my mother asked.

  I rolled my eyes. She always loved to try to undermine my certainty of things, to force me to question everything. She said it would build my character. Honestly, I think it was her way of getting back at me for my attitude during puberty.

  “She hasn’t changed much,” Belinda told Mom dryly. “Still sarcastic and stubborn as always.”

  “You know, there are several other things I’d prefer to dream about, like Jason Statham and I lost on a desert island. Or Tom Hiddleston taking me on a picnic at the beach. Or-”

  “Shut up, Kerry,” my mother sighed. “The past four years have been so peaceful that I forgot how quickly you push my buttons.”

  Belinda and I grinned at each other. I felt relaxed and happy, no longer weighed down by my grief and pain.

  Mom placed her hands over mine, bringing my attention back to her. “There’s something you should know.” Her face was serious as she spoke. “Don’t be fooled by what you see of the Faction. They are older and far more powerful than the Council realizes and their spies are everywhere.”

  I didn’t tell her that I’d already learned that hard lesson, especially with Belinda looking at me with gentle, sad eyes.

  Mom stood up. “It’s time to go.”

  “Can’t you stay longer? Please?” My voice was small, as though I were once again a child. I felt like one, lost and frightened. After four long years and the insanity of my life over the last few months, I craved the comfort of my mother’s embrace and her scent.

  Hugging me close, she kissed my cheek. “I love you, my sweet girl. I’m proud of who you’ve become.” She pulled back and smiled at me. “And you picked a winner for your mate.”

  I stared at her, surprised. How did she know about Finn? Then I remembered this was a dream, probably created by my subconscious.

  Belinda hugged me as well, whispering in my ear, “I’m sorry I won’t be there to help you when the time comes, Kerry, but you are the strongest, brightest witch I know and you will be fine.” She kissed my cheek. “Tell Lachlan I’m sorry. Don’t let him give up and try to help him move on from me.”

  Before I could ask her what she meant, Belinda released me and stepped away.

  “I love you,” I whispered to my mother, watching as she and Belinda faded into the shadows.

  When my eyes opened to the bright light of day, I lay in the circle of Finn’s arms and let the bittersweet ache of seeing my mother again wash over me. I also felt calm, almost serene. Though they were likely a figment of my grief-stricken mind, seeing my mother and Belinda whole and happy brought me a measure of peace.

  I just hoped that I could maintain that peaceful feeling today. I would need it when dealing with the elders of the coven, especially after they found out that I had allowed vampires and werewolves into the Coven House.

  I heard the cadence of Finn’s breathing change and knew he was awake. It was time to get up and scare the shit out of a traitor.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The mood in Coven House was somber when Finn and I entered. I could hear muted voices coming from the meeting hall but there were no men or women loitering in the halls, joking and gossiping. Though I was thirty minutes early for the meeting, there were witches here before me. I was almost certain I knew who they were, too.

  Sure enough, Janice and Constance appeared in the open double doors that led from the foyer to the meeting room. They stopped so abruptly I thought they were going to topple over like a pair of dominoes.

  They quickly hid their surprise and displeasure at my appearance.

  “Kerry, how are you holding up?” Janice asked me, her voice sickeningly sweet and soft. She came forward, arms extended, and with an expression that she must have thought was appropriately sympathetic. She was wrong. From five feet away, even I could see that she wasn’t sincere.

  I grabbed her hands before she could wrap her arms around me and squeezed them. “I’ve been better, Janice. How are you doing?”

  She tried to muster up a fake tear, but wasn’t successful. Instead she settled for sniffling as though it was a valiant effort to hold back her sobs. “It’s just awful. Absolutely horrible.”

  I nodded in agreement. It was horrible, but it was likely that Janice or one of the other elders here today were responsible. I looked at Constance. “Hello, Constance. Thank you for coming early to help prepare for the meeting. I appreciate that.”

  Constance opened her mouth to respond, but obviously had no clue what to say and shut it just as quickly. After clearing her throat, she answered, “No problem.”

  Janice wrapped her hand around Constance’s wrist. “We were just on our way into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Can I bring you a cup?”

  While I was tempted to say yes just to see if she would try to poison me, I declined. “No, thank you. I’ll grab something to drink later.”

  She nodded and dragged Constance out of the foyer toward the kitchen.

  Finn leaned down and whispered in my ear, “That was almost painful.”

  I tried not to snort. This wasn’t exactly a laughing matter, but he was right. Janice’s overly sensitive facade was almost comical.

  “Why didn’t you let her hug you?” he asked, still speaking so softly only I would be able to hear him.

  Tilting my head back, I put my mouth to his ear. “I’m pretty sure any hugs she gives me will be so she can figure out which two ribs she needs to stick the knife between when she stabs me in the back.”

  He shook his head. “You say that as though it were a joke, but I think it’s frighteningly close to the truth.”

  I shrugged. “It is the truth and there’s nothing I can do about it until she openly defies me.”

  I tapped the truth amulet on Finn’s wrist. Since I hadn’t had the tools or time to create a new one, I thought it was somewhat poetic that I would use a truth amulet Belinda made to find the witch who had betrayed her. Since I wasn’t sure who I could trust in the coven, I was glad that Finn possessed the power needed to use it.

  “Just remember to tap your wrist if the amulet turns orange when a witch is speaking.”

  Finn tilted his head in acknowledgement.

  I took one deep breath to steel myself for the confrontation that was soon to come. Finn laced his fingers with mine and, immediately, the calm I felt lying in bed with him this morning returned.

  “Ready?�
� I asked.

  “If you are.”

  “I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” I murmured.

  We walked through the open French doors into the meeting room and my eyes were instantly drawn to Sharon and Beatrice, who were the only other witches there. It seemed that the other seven elders were not as eager to undermine me so quickly after my ascension.

  “Hello, Sharon, Beatrice. I appreciate you both arriving so early.” Since my polite words seemed to unnerve Janice a few minutes ago, I decided to continue with the same serene, politically correct attitude I’d often envied in Belinda.

  Sharon didn’t bother with niceties. “What is he doing here?”

  “Do you mean Finn?”

  I had to bite back a smile when her mouth pinched tightly as though she were making every effort to control her response. Damn, maybe Belinda had been more like me than I thought, only instead of using sarcasm to irritate people, she killed them with kindness. This was going to be fun.

  “Yes,” Sharon hissed.

  “He is attending as an envoy of the vampire council.”

  “You brought a vampire here, to Coven House?” Beatrice gasped.

  “Yes. Actually, several more will be here later.”

  “You can’t do this!” Sharon exclaimed. “You didn’t even ask the elders for approval.”

  Okay, this was becoming less fun and more of an annoyance. “It may not be approved by the elders, but it is happening.” Maybe it was time to throw out some bait and see who bit. “A lot of people I care about were hurt or killed last night and someone in this coven is responsible.”

  Beatrice gasped and Sharon’s face grew ashen.

  “Are you suggesting that a witch betrayed the coven?” Beatrice asked, aghast.

  “I’m not suggesting it, it’s a statement of fact. I found a Hangman’s Talisman in a book that Belinda obtained from the library in Coven House. Though I haven’t had a chance to examine her belongings, I’m certain I’ll find another somewhere among them. The Faction wouldn’t have been able to track us otherwise.”